Roderick Hallowell "Sandy" MacPherson was a Canadian-born theatre organist in Britain.
12 Facts About Sandy MacPherson
1.
2.
Sandy MacPherson worked in the United States before travelling to England with his wife in 1928.
3.
From 1928 to 1938 MacPherson was the resident organist at the Empire, Leicester Square.
4.
Sandy MacPherson was appointed BBC Theatre Organist in 1938, in succession to Reginald Foort, the first holder of that position.
5.
Sandy MacPherson put out programmes with other artistes, for instance, Robinson Cleaver and his wife Molly, Stephane Grappelli, Oscar Grasso, Gladys Ripley and Isobel Bailey.
6.
Sandy MacPherson played the opening music to the radio programme called London After Dark, on the theatre organ in St George's Hall, London, broadcast 24 August 1940.
7.
Sandy MacPherson himself was then evacuated and continued to broadcast on a Hammond organ until Reginald Foort lent the BBC his travelling Moller pipe-organ, which was installed in Bangor, Wales, close to Macpherson's then home of Llandudno.
8.
Sandy MacPherson introduced the programme, whilst "Mr Drewett" played the organ.
9.
Sandy MacPherson had a request programme running at the same time which concentrated on slightly lighter music and was very popular with the older generation.
10.
Sandy MacPherson retired from the position of BBC Theatre Organist in 1963 and the BBC sold the 5-manual 27-rank Moller organ, it being assumed that the days of theatre-organ music were over, with audience numbers for this genre fast declining.
11.
Sandy MacPherson was the subject of This Is Your Life in November 1961 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.
12.
Sandy MacPherson died in Ealing, Middlesex, on his 78th birthday, 3 March 1975.